Hammers winger Crysencio Summerville has given a fascinating insight into his West Ham future during an exclusive interview with The Athletic.
The Dutchman endured something of a horror first season at the London Stadium following his £25m move from Leeds United. Initially overlooked by Julen Lopetegui, Summerville spent most of his early West Ham career on the bench, used only sparingly as a substitute.
When the Hammers finally appointed a manager in Graham Potter who wanted to use him from the start, disaster struck. Summerville lasted just 45 minutes before suffering an injury that eventually required surgery and ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.
That operation was expected to keep him sidelined until at least September, but speaking during his interview, Summerville offered some positive news—revealing he could be involved in the latter stages of pre-season.
He also shared where Graham Potter sees him playing next season, and it’s clear the plan is for him to be a direct replacement for the outgoing Mohammed Kudus.
“At Leeds they wanted me to play as a No 10 more, and our coach (Potter) wants me to be more of a left-winger and be the best one-on-one player, so I think I have learnt a lot of things from different coaches,” said the Dutchman.
Having a functional left flank would be a welcome change for the Irons, with the right side carrying most of the load in recent seasons. While Summerville’s first year was a write-off, he’s got five years left on his contract—plenty of time to shine. Let’s just hope he doesn’t have a buyout clause.